Ch.308Traces (3)

“…Alshas, I never thought you’d be like this.”

Nern, wearing a Cult-style purple military uniform, glared at his junior colleague beside him.

“I understand how you feel, senior.”

“You say you understand, yet you drag me here?”

“Drag you? Do you say that knowing how important this gathering is?”

Currently, they were at the mansion of Kixos, the leader of the Innovatives.

Four days ago, Alshas had received a request from Nern to arrange a meeting between Siheyon Yujin and Kixos. Surprisingly, Kixos had taken a liking to Siheyon and promised to provide her with a stable equipment supply route.

Nern was satisfied with the success of the negotiations. The stronger Siheyon’s forces became, the higher the probability that he could kill that “three-headed demon.”

He had been feeling reassured, but he never expected to be blindsided like this.

“I clearly said I wouldn’t return until I completed my revenge.”

“I’m not asking you to return, senior.”

“That person over there is the deputy head of the Revelation Eye Priesthood, and that one is the director of the Aur Surveillance Bureau. You bring me to a gathering of this planet’s key power holders and say it’s not about returning?”

They weren’t the only ones invited to Kixos’s party.

There were other guests in the banquet hall besides the two of them. These were power holders in positions so high that he couldn’t easily meet them even when he was the captain of the Imperial Mothership.

“You know as well as I do, senior. Siheyon Yujin’s enemies are not just one. Even with the relic, her path ahead is difficult. There’s nothing wrong with preparing in advance.”

“Do you think the council will leave me alone if they learn of my survival? They’ll try to use me somehow.”

“Kixos has agreed to help with that. Until Siheyon fulfills her role, you’ll remain dead to the world. No need to worry.”

“Hmph.”

Nern glared at Alshas.

He didn’t look kindly upon this kind of political machination. He had seen countless people die unjustly on the battlefield due to factional power struggles.

At any other time, he would have been furious, but not this time. He knew Alshas was acting for his sake.

In the end, instead of getting angry, Nern let out a small sigh.

“…When should I pay my respects?”

“After Siheyon and my brother’s turn is over, you can greet them separately.”

Currently, Kixos, the host of this party, was introducing Siheyon to the guests. He was handling the guests skillfully, befitting a Noble Capital.

‘Come to think of it…’

His gaze shifted from Siheyon to a silver-haired Cult standing in the corner of the banquet hall.

A man who resembled Alshas not only in hair color but in overall demeanor. Alqadi, the man whose brother was the Imperial Mothership captain.

“Alqadi is here too.”

“You mentioned before, didn’t you? That he would do well as a governor’s aide. Kixos said a good position just opened up.”

“Well, I never expected both siblings to be so capable.”

Nern clicked his tongue as he observed Alqadi. He appeared anxious, repeatedly bringing a glass to his lips.

“He seems quite nervous. Is he alright?”

“Since there might be talk if I get too close to my brother…”

“I suppose.”

“Honestly, I’m a bit worried, but it should be fine.”

While they were chatting, Siheyon’s introduction ended. As she stepped back, Alqadi, who had been sipping his drink alone, moved toward the group of distinguished guests.

Though his reputation might not be the best, he was undeniably a skilled businessman. He wouldn’t behave rudely to the planet’s core power holders. The event would likely conclude without incident.

“Huh?”

That’s what he thought, but something felt off about the atmosphere.

The deputy head of the Revelation Eye Priesthood suddenly stepped forward and blocked the path between Alqadi and Kixos.

Then the deputy head drew the knife at his waist and slashed Alqadi’s throat. It happened so suddenly that no one could react properly.

“Brother!”

Alshas, recognizing her brother’s death, let out a scream.

She rushed desperately toward her fallen brother’s body. Nern, quickly regaining his senses, followed his junior.

‘Why would the deputy head…?’

“…Deputy, what is the meaning of this?”

Kixos’s cold voice pierced Nern’s ears.

Someone had died at a banquet he was hosting, someone he had invited. If anyone else had drawn a blade, they would have been dragged away immediately. The reason this hadn’t happened was because the one who drew the knife was the deputy head of the Revelation Eye Priesthood.

The Revelation Eye Priesthood, along with the Temple Guardian Corps, was one of the Empire’s elite military groups. While the Temple Guardian Corps specialized in monster hunting, the Revelation Eye Priesthood mainly dealt with internal enemies like the Sect of Voltex One.

Given the nature of their work, they required both strong physical and mental capabilities. The deputy head of such an organization wouldn’t act like this without reason.

And the reason for the deputy head’s sudden action soon became clear.

“What is that?”

“B-brother?”

Everyone’s gaze fixed not on the deputy head but on Alqadi’s corpse.

From the cleanly severed neck, something other than blood was flowing out.

‘A snake?’

Something long and black was writhing before it soon stopped moving. The deputy head, who had been watching the creature, spoke.

“It appears to be a mutated parasite of an Outspacer.”

With those words, the banquet hall froze.

–

Beryan02 is, as you can see, a desert-type planet.

Everywhere you look, there’s only sand, and with two suns alternating day and night, the temperature is high.

Yet, most of the names of Beryan02’s major cities are related to water. This is because these cities were built in areas with large underground water reserves.

“Fortress of Water” is also one of the cities built on water and sand.

Unlike the surface protected by bio-domes, underground there are vast waterway lines and groundwater management facilities.

Water is a crucial resource on a desert planet, so defenses are thorough. From fortress cannons typically seen in space fortresses to all kinds of detection equipment, an enormous number of Cult are stationed at the management facilities.

Even in the game, it was easier to infiltrate the Fortress of Water through the surface route than underground. I only succeeded in sneaking into the underground once.

But now, both the situation and conditions are different.

I have “Clever Weakling,” the best infiltration mode. And I possess multiple means to avoid enemy detection. In the game, I would have avoided it, but here, using the underground route is more advantageous.

So during the cooldown of Clever Weakling, I prepared to infiltrate the underground route of the Fortress of Water.

Specifically, by digging a tunnel leading directly to the city.

After becoming an adult, my body became less suitable for moving underground, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dig.

Moreover, I was given 30 days. During this ample time, I dug into the ground every day. During the day, I taught the kids how to use their newly acquired traits, and at night, I created underground passages.

After spending time diligently, the tunnel has come very close to the management facility beneath the Fortress of Water.

Throughout this journey, the city has not responded at all. The detection systems of the management facility should have detected the vibrations I created long ago.

There’s a reason for this.

“…I never expected you to avoid surveillance this way.”

The Sky Mother, riding on my back, shook her head. Even in the darkness underground, her two eyes were fixed precisely on the creature in front of us.

Besides me and her, there are other creatures above the passage I created.

A red snake with a body as massive as the Ice Horror I met before is in front of me. The identity of this creature is an adult Red Worm.

“Mimicking a Red Worm.”

The adult Red Worm, with strength slightly less than an apex creature, is perceived very differently depending on the faction.

Megacorps see these monsters, which mimic voices to catch their victims, only as hunting targets. In contrast, Cults try not to kill Red Worms.

This is because Red Worms play an important role in the ecosystem of desert-type planets.

‘To be precise, it’s not the Red Worms but the organisms that live in symbiosis with them.’

All over the body of this carnivorous worm, which is large enough to fill the width of the tunnel, are bugs the size of small children clinging tightly. These bugs, called “Water Beetles,” help maintain the planet’s environment by excreting substances that make clean water and enrich the soil.

Water Beetles feed exclusively on the scales of adult Red Worms. If Red Worms decrease, Water Beetles also decrease, and the planet’s ecosystem deteriorates. From the perspective of Cults living on desert-type planets, it’s natural to protect adult Red Worms.

[Zzzzz zzz (Not bad, right?)]

“So that’s why players never knew.”

My adult body size is similar to that of a young Red Worm that hasn’t completed its growth. The detection systems of the management facility would recognize my presence as a new Red Worm from outside.

Unless I deliberately tamper with the underground waterways or facilities, the chances of them coming to catch me are slim.

The Sky Mother knew this fact and let out a hollow laugh.

“Well, you’re definitely a Morph-brain, always thinking cleverly.”

[Zzzzzzzz zzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzzzz (If I don’t do this, I won’t be able to reach the top 5)]

“…Well done. I even prepared a reinforcement suit just in case, but it seems I brought it for nothing.”

She scratched her beak with her hand while riding on my back. Her body, which had been camouflaged transparently, flickered faintly.

Currently, she is wearing a high-grade reinforcement suit. It’s a modified version of the high-grade reinforcement suit seized from the attacker sent by Alqadi last time. The existing stealth function has been enhanced, adding a weak stealth effect on top of the optical camouflage.

While I entrusted the equipment modification, she also searched for routes to safely enter the Fortress of Water. Unlike me, she was free to move around externally, so she visited many more places. She even discovered the infiltration route I had used.

However, at this point, the underground route is safer than the surface. Unless something unexpected happens, there will be no need to use the method she found.

‘That doesn’t mean it’s completely useless though.’

During her investigation, she discovered many differences from the game. Among them was information that would have been quite troublesome if I hadn’t known. When it’s time to escape the city, or later when we need to attack the planet, that knowledge will be useful.

‘Anyway, let’s stop here for today.’

It was difficult to dig further anyway with Red Worms constantly roaming around.

It’s not that I’m afraid of them, but I’m concerned about accidentally killing them. If a Red Worm, which plays an important role in ecosystem stability, dies, the Cults will respond immediately, and the tunnel operation will be ruined.

As I was about to stop digging and return to the hover bus center,

A short but intense signal arrived. My body froze involuntarily at the wavelength that resembled a death cry.

“What’s wrong?”

The Sky Mother asked, but I couldn’t answer.

‘Alqadi is dead?’

The wavelength that just arrived.

It was the final signal sent by the parasite I had implanted.